Movies in the classroom: lessons for curriculum design

We live in an epoch in which film, television and other visual media predominate. Visual images take centre stage in the news, advertising, entertainment, and even education. Students spend a significant amount of their time in front of the small or big screen and are, it is argued, therefore more responsive to audio-visual stimuli than traditional, written forms of communication (Spielberger and Lieberman, 1985). This poses a challenge in higher education where most learning materials are still in written form. How can educators make their teaching more meaningful and relevant whilst developing students’ critical thinking skills? One possible strategy is to use carefully selected feature films as a part of the teaching and learning curriculum. Over the last twenty or so years, educators across a wide range of disciplines – psychology, counselling, leadership, nursing, science, fine arts – have recognised the pedagogic value of films in teaching and learning (Tipton and Tiemann, 1993; Bluestone, 2000; Kuzma and Haney, 2001; Masters, 2005; Marcus and Stoddard, 2007; Capar, 2012; and Gallagher, Wilson and Jaine, 2014). They are an excellent vehicle for illustrating course content, making sense of abstract theories and concepts, promoting critical thinking, stimulating the senses and engaging emotions. According to Joseph Champoux, feature films have an audio-visual impact that gives them a distinct advantage over the printed or spoken word and “cinema's ability to create a unique experience gives it unbeatable power as a teaching tool” (1999:207). In this workshop, we will describe two approaches to using film to supplement teaching and enhance learning within the Faculty of Education and Health at the University of Greenwich. The first involves use of an extracurricular film club for BSc Public Health and BSc Health and Wellbeing students to introduce a range of contemporary public health and wellbeing issues in an entertaining way as an adjunct to traditional teaching and learning, e.g. the link between cancer and environmental contaminants (Erin Brockovich) and using epidemiology to map communicable diseases (Contagion). The second involves use of an eclectic mix of feature films to bring leadership theory to life, e.g. transformational leadership (Dead Poets Society) and trait theory (Gladiator), as part of the mandatory taught element of  two post-experience leadership courses. Drawing from the literature on the use of films as a teaching and learning tool, the two approaches will be compared and the pedagogical benefits identified with a view to establishing a simple framework to guide the use of film in curriculum design. References Bluestone, C. (2000) “Feature Films as a Teaching Tool’. College Teaching , 48 (4), pp. 141-147. Capar, M. (2012) ‘The views of the prospective teacher of visual arts on using the films about artists to teach art criticism, aesthetics, art history and art production’. Social and Behavioral Sciences , 51, pp. 204-208. Champoux, J. (1999) ‘Film as a Teaching Resource’. Journal of Management Inquiry , 8 (2), pp. 206-217. Gallagher, P., Wilson, N. and Jaine, R. (2014) ‘The efficient use of movies in a crowded curriculum’. T he Clinical Teacher , 11, pp. 88–93. Kuzma, L. and Haney, P. (2001) ‘And . . . Action! Using Film to Learn about Foreign Policy’. International Studies Perspectives, 2, pp. 33–50. Marcus, A. and Stoddard, J. (2007) ‘Tinsel Town as Teacher: Hollywood Film in the High School Classroom’. The History Teacher , 40 (3), pp. 303-330. Masters, J. (2005) ‘Hollywood in the classroom’. Nurse Educator , 30 (3), pp. 113–116. Spielberger, J. and Lieberman, L. (1985) ‘Film as a Springboard for Writing’. Resource, Jan, pp. 4-6. Tipton, D. and Tiemann, K. (1993) ‘Using the Feature Film to Facilitate Sociological Thinking’. Teaching Sociology , 21 (2), pp. 187-191.